Lara Descartes, PhD

Professor

Contact Information

ldescart@uwo.ca  

ORCID:

Education

  • PhD, Anthropology (University of Michigan)
  • MA, Anthropology (University of Michigan)
  • MS, Astronomy (University of California, Los Angeles)
  • BS, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Research In Profile

Professor Lara Descartes has researched and published on a wide variety of topics, including: food depictions in children’s literature; health and aging issues among LGBTQ+ people; the experiences of single lesbian mothers; work and family; and support exchange among family members. Upcoming work includes a project with families who have recently immigrated, examining health and well-being.

Featured Publications and Projects

Books

  • Descartes, L., & Kottak, C. P. (2009). Media and middle class moms: Images and realities of work and family. New York: Routledge.
  • Rudd, E., & Descartes, L. (Eds.). (2008). The changing landscape of work and family in the American middle class: Reports from the field. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Chapters and Reports

  • Descartes, L. (2016). Single lesbian mothers. In M. Motapanyane (Ed.), Motherhood and lone/single parenting: A 21st century perspective (pp. 193-204). Bradford, ON: Demeter Press.
  • Blank, T., Descartes, L., Asencio, M. (2015). Cancer screening in gay and bisexual men and transgender people. In U. Boehmer & R. Elk (Eds.), Cancer and the LGBT community: Unique perspectives from risk to survivorship (pp. 99-116). New York: Springer.

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • Descartes, L., & Goldman, J. A. (2021). Messages about foods in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Considering their implications for youth health. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 49(4), 293-309. Published online May, 2021. doi.org/10.1111/fcsr.12399
  • Descartes, L. (2020). An exploratory study of single and coupled lesbian mothers’ experiences with social support. Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, 12, 269-287.
  • Goldman, J. A., & Descartes, L. (2016). Food depictions in picture books for preschool children: Frequency, centrality, and affect. Appetite, 96, 203-208. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.018.

Conferences

  • Descartes, L. (2023, June). Reflections upon coding food in children’s literature. 39th Qualitative Analysis Conference. Kelowna, BC.
  • Descartes, L., & Rosenzweig Espinal, J. (2022, July). Content analysis of foods in children’s picture books available in Mexico. Twenty-ninth International Conference on Learning. Valencia, Spain.
  • Blank, T., & Descartes, L. (2018, Nov.). Males caring for males: Are they different from other caregiving gender dyads? Gerontological Society of America 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting. Boston, MA.
  • Goldman, J., & Descartes, L., (2018, June). Messages about desirable foods presented in books for young children: Are we promoting healthy food choices? Administration for Children and Families 2018 National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC). Washington, D.C.
  • Goldman, J., & Descartes, L. (2016, Sept.). Cookies or carrots: Food messages presented in media designed for young children. 2016 “Making sense of: Food, exploring the food experience, the food project: 5th global meeting,” Mansfield College, Oxford, UK.
  • Descartes, L. (2016, March). Single lesbian mothers and support: Implications for service and information providers. Presented at the Rainbow Health Ontario 2016 Conference, London, ON.
  • Descartes, L. (2015, June). Skype and the ethnographer. Presented at the 32nd Annual Qualitative Analysis Conference, London, ON.
  • Descartes, L., & Goldman, J. (2014, July). Food and picture books: Relating two aspects of the everyday environments of young children. Presented at the 5th International Conference at the Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth, Sheffield, UK.

Visit  for a comprehensive list of publications.

Graduate Student Opportunities

Please contact Lara Descartes directly at ldescart@uwo.ca for more information about potential opportunities.

Additional Information

Awards

  • Dean’s Honour Roll of Teaching, Brescia University College (2022, 2021, 2019, 2015, 2011, 2010)
  • University of Michigan Teaching Fellow (2001)